Joe Dassin

• Name — Joe Dassin • Birth Name — Joseph Ira Dassin • Born — 5 November 1938 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Place of death — Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia • Died — 20 August 1980 • Occupation — * Musician • songwriter • Years Active — 1958–1980 • Children — 3 • Father — Jules Dassin • Relatives — Melina Mercouri (stepmother) • Website — joedassin.fr

Dassin was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to Jewish-American parents. His father was film director Jules Dassin and his mother was violinist Béatrice Launer, who studied at the Juilliard School. Both of his parents were mostly of Ukrainian-Jewish descent from Kamianets-Podilskyi, Sataniv and Buchach. Dassin lived in New York City and Los Angeles until his father was placed on the Hollywood blacklist in 1950, at which time his family moved to Europe. Between the ages of ten and fifteen Dassin changed schools eleven times. Dassin returned to the United States to attend the University of Michigan, where he won a Hopwood Award for fiction in 1958. Dassin earned a bachelor's degree in 1961 and a Master of Arts degree in 1963.

• Illustration — Dassin in the 1960s Moving to France, Dassin worked as a technician for his father and appeared as an actor in supporting roles, among others in three movies directed by his father, including Topkapi (1964) in which he played the role of Josef. He met his future wife Maryse Massiéra in Paris in 1963. On December 26, 1964, Dassin signed with CBS Records, making him the first French-language singer to be signed with an American record label. By the early 1970s, Dassin's songs were at the top of the charts in France, and he became immensely popular there. He recorded songs in German, Spanish, Italian, and Greek, as well as French and English. Amongst his most popular songs are "Les Champs-Élysées" (Originally "Waterloo Road") (1969), "Salut les amoureux" (originally "City of New Orleans") (1973), "L'Été indien" (1975), "Et si tu n'existais pas" (1975), and "À toi" (1976).

• Illustration — Dassin with his parents, Jules Dassin and Béatrice Launer, in Paris in 1970 While Dassin is sometimes described as being French, his son Julien said: "He was an American living in France. He didn't have French citizenship. But he often said, 'I'm American on paper but French at heart.'" Dassin married Maryse Massiéra in Paris on January 18, 1966. Their son Joshua was born two and a half months early on September 12, 1973, and died five days later. They divorced in 1977. On January 14, 1978, Dassin married Christine Delvaux in Cotignac, and they had two sons together. Christine died in December 1995.

• Illustration — Dassin's grave at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles Dassin died from a heart attack during a vacation to Tahiti on August 20, 1980, aged 41. He was eating lunch with family and friends at the restaurant Chez Michel et Éliane in Papeete when he suddenly slumped in his chair, unconscious. A doctor who was also eating at the restaurant performed CPR on him, but Dassin died at the restaurant. The only ambulance in Papeete was unavailable at the time and took 40 minutes to arrive. His body was returned to the United States and is interred in the Beth Olam section of Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California.

• Joe Dassin à New York (1966) • Les Deux Mondes de Joe Dassin (1967) • Joe Dassin (Les Champs-Élysées) (1969) • Joe Dassin (La Fleur aux dents) (1970) • Joe Dassin (Elle était... Oh!) (1971) • Joe (1972) • 13 chansons nouvelles (1973) • Joe Dassin (Si tu t'appelles Mélancolie) (1974) • Joe Dassin (Le Costume blanc) (1975) • Le Jardin du Luxembourg (1976) • Les Femmes de ma vie (1978) • 15 ans déjà... (1978) • Blue Country (1979)

• Ich Hab' Mich Verliebt (1972; in German) • En Los Jardines De Mi Ciudad (1976; in Spanish) • Las Mujeres De Mi Vida (1978; in Spanish) • Люксембургский Сад (1979; in Russian) • Home Made Ice Cream (1979; in English)

Joe Dassin was recorded at birth as Joseph Ira Dassin. The authorities additionally record the headings Joseph Ira Dassin and Joseph Dassin. His recorded languages were French, American English and English. He was the child of Jules Dassin and Béatrice Launer. One child is recorded: Julien Dassin.